Developed by Jordan Walke in 2010, ReactJS quickly gained popularity after its public release in 2013. With its declarative syntax and virtual DOM implementation, ReactJS offers developers a powerful way to build efficient user interfaces.
Since its release, ReactJS has transformed web development with its ability to handle complex and dynamic user interfaces efficiently. Its popularity among developers worldwide and the demand for ReactJS skills continue to grow.
The cost-free library is popular due to its key features, enabling significant advancements like React Native and Redux and allowing the solution to leave a lasting impact on the web development industry.
Declarative Syntax and Virtual DOM
With various toolsets for creating efficient and dynamic user interfaces, ReactJS had become the most used web framework among software developers worldwide by 2022.
The ReactJS framework is an open-source JavaScript framework and library used for creating interactive user interfaces and web applications quickly and efficiently with significantly less code compared to using pure JavaScript.
ReactJS stands out for its declarative syntax, allowing developers to describe the desired UI without specifying the steps to achieve it.
This approach simplifies development and improves code maintainability. Additionally, ReactJS utilizes a virtual DOM, a JavaScript representation of the actual DOM.
By efficiently updating only the necessary components, ReactJS optimizes performance and delivers seamless user experiences, particularly for dynamic and complex interfaces.
React Native, Redux & Hooks
Introduced by Facebook in 2015, React Native leverages ReactJS to develop cross-platform mobile applications for iOS and Android.
The working principles of React Native are almost identical to React, except that React Native does not manipulate the DOM via the Virtual DOM. It instead runs as a background process (which interprets the JavaScript written by the developers) directly on the end device and communicates with the native platform through serialized data over an asynchronous and batched bridge.
With a shared syntax, developers can utilize their existing web development skills to create native mobile apps. React Native quickly gained popularity, emerging as a top choice for mobile app development and expanding ReactJS’s reach beyond the web.
ReactJS’s active community has contributed numerous third-party tools, with Redux being a standout choice. Redux provides a predictable state container for JavaScript applications, enabling developers to manage application states in a structured and consistent manner.
Its adoption simplifies state management, particularly in complex applications, enhancing code organization and scalability.
In 2019, ReactJS introduced Hooks, a feature that facilitates code reuse and sharing logic across components. With Hooks, developers can write more concise and reusable code, improving productivity and maintainability. This addition streamlines the development of complex applications, making ReactJS even more versatile and powerful.
The evolution of Fiber architecture
In 2017, ReactJS underwent a significant transformation with the introduction of Fiber architecture. This rewrite of the core algorithm improved performance, enabled new features and enhanced the handling of UI updates.
The Fiber architecture bolstered ReactJS’s efficiency and speed, solidifying its reputation as a high-performance library for building user interfaces.
ReactJS continues to offer new tools and library updates that enhance accessibility for developers. The Create React App tool simplifies project setup, enabling beginners to get started quickly. ReactJS’s extensive ecosystem of tools and libraries empowers developers to build robust and scalable applications.